Nothing to be alarmed about

Striking Dunedin firefighters wave flags and banners to the Ravensbourne Volunteer Fire Brigade on their way to the Octagon in response to a fire alarm during the hour of industrial action yesterday.

The New Zealand Professional Firefighters Union (NZPFU) have upped their weekly hour of strike action to two days a week, increasing pressure on Fire and Emergency New Zealand (Fenz), after months of failed negotiations for a collective agreement, Dunedin secretary Senior Firefighter Mike Taylor said.

When the callout to the Octagon went off at about 12.01pm yesterday, one manager responded who then called in the Ravensbourne Brigade.

Ordinarily, three pumps and an aerial appliance would have attended, but due to the strike, there was one pump.

SF Taylor said he was thankful the callout was simply a malfunctioning fire alarm. It was the NZPFU’s first Monday strike and they would be ongoing until an agreement between NZPFU and Fenz was reached, he said.